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Kalt
Physical Qualities A small city by any standard. Most of the tents are made up of cloth and hides, although some made of ice exist, and a few larger buildings dot the area. The city is spread out, houses and buildings somewhat apart from eachother. What few plants can be grown in the area are done so with plenty of room. The area around and in the city is patted down from heavy travel. Fires burn in several areas to create warmth and heat food. Culture While seeming like a primitive culture, the city has an established system. The city-dwellers have''' specific roles''' appointed to them to by the leader shaman. Citizens are assigned tasks such as hunter, fisherman, warrior, mason, or chef. The roles are assigned at birth and kept for life. Individuals rarely protest their roles since they grow up knowing no other way. The laws the shaman places forth for the community are considered the highest authority, outside of diety intervention. Though the laws can seem confusing and nonsensical to outsiders, locals do not challenge it. The classes that originate in Kalt are generally restricted to barbarian, druid, fighter, inquisitor, magus, monk, oracle, ranger, rogue, sorcerer, summoner, witch, and wizard. The races that live here are mostly monstrous, consisting of catfolk, goblins, half-orcs, hobgoblins, humans, orcs, tieflings, and undines. The official languages of Kalt are Abyssal and Aquan. Individuals who don't speak these languages may have difficulties communicating. Characters born here gain one of the two as a starting language. If they already have both, they may gain any other appropriate language. Leadership The leader of Kalt is the shaman, considered to be appointed by a diety. In the event the shaman dies, the locals wait for what they consider to be a sign from the gods to find the next shaman. The shaman is both the religious and governmental leader, ruling like a monarch over the people. Any problems, debates, or crimes are expected to be resolved by the shaman. Underneath the shaman are a caste of chosen individuals called the beresaad. The beresaad follow the desires of the shaman, and operate somewhat like a police force in order to maintain order and peace in the village. Some travel abroad and serve as diplomats, while others stay local. There are around a dozen beresaad at any given time, though the numbers vary depending on the wishes of the shaman. Religion Residents of the city worship Valdi, believing that he controls the weather. The locals try to offer sacrifices to Valdi in the form of live animals. A shaman controls these rituals, calling for sacrifices whenever the weather is particularly harsh. This often places a strain on the city's resources, since every sacrifice is less food to go around. The shaman traditionally lives in relative wealth compared to the other occupants and is afforded the first pick of food. Military Kalt does maintain a small military comprised of warriors hand-picked by the shaman at birth. Each warrior is expected to defend the city with their lives. Every warrior is different, having different qualities and abilities. Since they are chosen at birth it's unknown at the time what types of abilities they posess. Who is allowed to serve in the military is up to individual shamans, and may be restricted in some generations, though typically there are no requirements. The soldiers report directly to the shaman, and in times of peace generally act as guards and lookouts, and spend free time training with eachother. The beresaad are also trained in combat, but are not always within the confines of the village. Trivia * Many terms are based on the Icelandic language. * Characters born here can take the Coldhearted trait.